Narrative criminal justice

Abstract

Criminal justice is replete with positivistic theories of decision making. However, such theories fail to acknowledge the interpretive nature of criminal justice agents and their decisions. This paper outlines a narrative approach to criminal justice decision making hinged on the philosophical works of Paul Ricoeur. The paper argues that criminal justice professionals are “story-telling animals” whose decisions and actions are teleologically determined through narratives or stories, which are primary meaning-making tools. Decision making is placed under the quasi-causal model of action where action is described, narrated, and prescribed. To arrive at a decision, however, there is a need for a dialectical interweaving operation between narrative interpretation and argumentation with which one arrives at a decision. A research agenda to move “narrative criminal justice” forward is suggested.